3 Illusions all Leaders Face and Successful Leaders Defeat
“How strange when an illusion dies. It’s as though you’ve lost a child.” Judy Garland
#1. Achievement gives the illusion of success.
Successful organizations experience daily victories at best. Play always continues tomorrow.
Never declare victory before the game is over. Celebrate progress. Focus on the next play.
#2. Mastery gives the illusion of perfection.
Success is hitting the bull’s eye. Mastery is hitting the bull’s eye with predictable regularity.
When you aim for perfection, you always fall short.
Mastery has degrees. You aren’t on the mountain top yet.
The ‘not yet’ of mastery invites constant growth and rigorous development. What are you doing to develop mastery?
#3. Sincerity gives the illusion of being right.
Make a list of the top three things you’re wrong about right now. The danger of being wrong is sincerely believing you’re right.
Wrongness congeals into defeat when you close your mind.
Being wrong feels right until you realize you’re wrong.
Acknowledging wrong and adjusting course requires openness, insight, courage, resolve, and humility.
Learners go further than knowers. Seek wisdom constantly or you end up defending foolishness.
Humility answers illusion:
Humility is openness during certainty and persistent pursuit after achievement.
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.” Daniel J. Boorstin
Arrogance has the best ideas and holds the right position on difficult issues.
Humility considers alternatives and seeks input instead of defending its position.
The difference between humility and the need to be right is the pursuit of the best path forward.
Questions to answer illusion:
- What do we need to stop doing?
- What if they’re right?
- What are we missing?
- What alternatives might exist?
- Who might think otherwise? What would they say?
- When was the last time you changed your mind?
- What isn’t working anymore?
Illusion is the first step toward delusion.
What illusions do leaders face?
How might leaders answer illusion?
Bonus material:
Why You Think You’re Right — Even if You’re Wrong (TED)
Great read! That third point really hit home for me, “The danger of being wrong is sincerely believing you’re right.”
That’s a harsh truth, but definitely something we need to learn to recognize if we want to get to the next level as leaders!
Thanks Gabe. #3 is the motivation for this post. It’s the one that kicks me in the pants most. Glad to share a “harsh truth…” 🙂
Great point. I have a Mark Twain quote on my wall:
“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.”
I think about this often.
Great post today.
Thanks Norbert. Great quote. Perhaps we need enough confidence to move forward, but not so much that we move forward with a closed mine.
Illusions
Some leaders have the illusion that if they describe their vision, or strategy or expectation–ONCE–JUST ONCE they are done. People will get it and understand. Not true, it takes multiple presentations and discussions to get a full understand of the vision, strategy, goals etc.
Thanks Paul. Ooooo, yes…. the illusion that communication has happened. George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
What do we need to stop doing? The challenge on this one is when the part of “we” is in a different department and the affects of that department are bringing down others. Being patient why those issues are being worked out is frustrating at best, disappointing at worst.
Thanks Roger. There is a big difference between “we” and “they” 🙂 .. Great point. Reject the illusion that others are as excited about changing/stopping something as you are.
How many times have one of us stood on a point for far too long and realized that it was wrong this whole time. The illusion of being right has defeated so many people over time and it most likely comes down to hubris and someone convincing themselves they are right about a particular idea or message. Acknowledging that you are wrong and working to make it right is what separates the good leaders from those who think they are leaders.
Thanks Adam. Our reluctance to acknowledge we are wrong only prolongs error and exacerbates stress. But, the acknowledgement can be difficult. As you indicate, hubris is often the root of the problem.